Abubakar Aliyu AA Oil Boss And Adole's Role In The Malabu Oil Deal Clean Out!

As the controversies around the Malabu Oil scam continue to engage world’s attention, faces of top Nigerians who played what roles are beginning to emerge, the latest being Alhaji Abubakar Aliyu, an oil magnate whose investments span various economic sectors around the world and properties litter major cities of the globe.

Alhaji Aliyu is the boss of AA Oil who acted as the unseen middleman between givers and takers of bribe in the whole imbroglio has placed Nigeria on the map of international corruption. Aliyu it was who did all the dirty jobs supposedly to be handled by a former Attorney-General, Mohammed Adoke.

TheCapital findings show that Mohammed Adoke brought Aliyu to the picture. Aliyu and Adoke are kinsmen from Kogi with a friendship that predated Adoke's time in government. Adoke found a willing accomplice in Aliyu whose 'facilitating skills' in such deals are unparalleled. He was reportedly fingered in some of the shady deals that former Bayelsa governor, DSP Diepreye Alamiesiagha down.

According to Reuters, more than half of the N171.32 billion ($1.1 billion) paid to Malabu Oil and Gas for the procurement of one of Nigeria’s richest oil fields, OPL 245 by Shell and Eni was used to bribe Nigerian politicians and intermediaries who helped to secure the controversial deal.

Former Attorney General of the Federation, Mohammed Adoke, and Minister of State for Finance, Yerima Ngama, were also found by investigation to have authorized the transfers while Aliyu provided his UK First Bank account as the transitory conduits through which other shady companies with fake addresses were credited with whooping sums in millions of pounds. He was also found out as the person who appropriated money to most of the bribed Nigerians politicians fingered in the deal.

Former oil minister, who was convicted for money laundering in France, Dan Etete, owns Malabu Oil and Gas. The company was incorporated five days before the oil block was awarded to it in 1998 during the regime of military dictator, Sani Abacha.

The Federal Government had acted as a conduit for the fund after Shell and Eni raised concerns over transferring the money directly to Malabu due to Mr Etete’s conviction.

Premium Times found that after the money ($1.1 billion) was paid to the Federal Government account, it transferred N120 billion ($801 million) to Malabu’s account.

While trying to cover his link with the company, Mr. Etete registered the company with a fictitious director, Kweku Amafegha. The company also listed a fake address in registration documents.

Dan Atete confessed his role to a British court in 2013 and explained how the former President, Olusegun Obasanjo, demanded a slice of the Malabu oil block as bribe.

The Italian prosecutors are investigating the role of Eni’s former CEO, Paola Scaroni and his successor Claudio Descalzi, for alleged international corruption over the scandal.

According to a letter seeking the help of UK’s Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) to freeze the assets of those involved, Italian prosecutors said some of the N83 billion ($533 million) slush money was used to buy private jets and armoured vehicles.

“We are investigating many money transfers to many people in various countries who received sums that vary from millions of dollars to thousands of dollars,” Reuters claimed the letter reads.

British prosecutors acting on the request have already frozen two accounts with combined sum of N29.5 billion ($190 million) belonging to the chief intermediary, Emeka Obi.